Royal Lady of the Blueprint

Reunion

‘Just what in the world just happened?’ She sighed.

Engineer Alexandra Whites had died from a plane crash due to a fighter jet that shot it down. But when she opened her eyes, she was back in the body of her first life, and to the young age of 16.

‘I don’t understand,’ She shook her head in confusion, ‘ I saw myself blown to smithereens, and yet I mysteriously got back in my first life?’

‘No, there’s no need to ponder,’ She cheered herself, fist clenched above her dress, ‘I’m alive.’

When she first became conscious, seven days had passed. At first, she was extremely confused, but now she was less tense. She didn’t know how it happened, but she decided to accept it. At this time, a knock on the door sounded from outside.

“Lady Catarina, may I go inside?”

“Oh sure, come inside.”

A young maid came with food.

“Here’s your breakfast, milady.”

“Thank you.”

The young maid carefully asked a question. “Uhm...my lady?”

“Yes?”

“You’re not sick anywhere right?”

“I’m okay, why?” Alexandra made an expression of suspicion.

“No it’s just that...it’s just that you seem different from before. And you’re not as energetic as you used to be…”

She tilted her head and realized what the maid was talking about. ‘Oh, my former self temper and behavior,’ In her first life, Catarina Eisenberg’s temper was very different from her doll-like face.

She would get annoyed at literally anything that displeases her, and throwing items everywhere around was an everyday event. Plenty of people had gotten hurt because of her.

‘But my temper right now isn’t that bad compared to how I became…’ She grinded her teeth thinking of all the crimes she had committed. The Empire’s most noble family, the Eisenberg family, had disappeared because of her. Watching her loved ones die caused her pain in her second life.

‘I’m not going to let that happen this time,’ She had returned to Catarina Eisenberg’s life, so she had to live it now. She didn’t know what kind of life she was gonna lead since she had been an engineer on Earth but one thing was certain, she wasn’t going to repeat her first life.

“Anne?”

“Yes? My lady?”

At her soft voice, Anne responded in surprise. ‘Why is she doing this? Is she trying to throw another tantrum?’ The young girl who knew her master’s bad temper trembled in fear.

“Is it until today? That I’m being punished?”

“Yes, My lady.”

Currently, she was being punished at the orders of her father, Marquis Nix, and was locked in an isolated room in the residence for something she had done. ‘Well, It’s a good thing that I was locked in.’ No one came to find her during this time. If they saw her being confused they would’ve thought something was wrong with her.

“Uh...my lady. The Marquis said that he would see you at lunch.”

“Wait? Father did?”

“Yes, he said to participate in the family banquet.”

“...”

Catarina was surprised. The family banquet? “Then everyone’s gathering? Father, Mother, and my brothers?”

“Yes, of course, except for the adjutant of the second prince, your oldest brother, everyone’s participating.”

Catarina’s heart beat faster. She was finally going to meet her family. It was a reunion after the long twisting path of two deaths.

…

It was finally lunch time. Catarina stood in front of the dining room of the residence in her dress. ‘I have to go inside.’ However, she couldn’t bear to open the door and kept on hesitating. Her family was all gathered inside, eating.

‘How am I supposed to meet them?’ The reason why she was hesitant was that she had missed them for 32 years. She hadn’t erased the lives of her family from her heart just because she was on Earth. Rather, she tried to remember them to atone for her sins.

However she was Alexandra Whites, not Catarina Eisenberg, so she felt awkward.

With a creak, the door opened, and her family turned their heads to look at her, ending the conversation they were having.

“...!!”

When she saw their faces, time seemed to stop.

She covered her mouth with her hand, her hand trembled.

She didn’t have to worry about how she was going to treat them.

Her father, who had wordlessly loved her and died because of her.

Her brother, who had always been on her side whether she was right or wrong. And her mother, whom she had so hated, had worried about her like she was her own child until she died from a disease.

They were all alive and looking at her.

“Catarina? What’s wrong?”

When her father looked at her suspicious face, tears dripped down her face. She frantically wiped them, but they kept on falling.

“Cat? What’s wrong?”

Her brother, who always loved her no matter what approached her.

“Was it that hard being punished? Really, father. Even if she did do something wrong, one week is too long. Don’t cry, my pretty little sister. Come here.”

And her brother, Albert, tightly held her in his arms.

“...”

In his warm embrace that she had missed for 30 years, she started crying even harder. ‘Brother, I was so sorry. Really. This time I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.’

She remembered hearing of her brother’s death in the Tauric Peninsula. He was sent there because of her. She was never going to let it happen again. Albert patted Catarina’s head, who was in his arms.

“Cat? Cat?! It must’ve been really difficult. It’s all my fault, please don’t cry.” Her serious father didn’t know what to do and apologized. But Catarina didn’t hear what they were saying.

“I...I’m okay.” She looked at her family. The tears didn’t stop, but she still smiled: it was a smile of pain and longing.

“Father, Mother, and Albert.”

“What’s wrong, Catarina?” She spoke the words she had buried in her heart for 30 years.

“I love you.”

And she closed her eyes. A single teardrop fell down her face again.

“And...I’m very very sorry.”

And that’s how she came back in her first life.

…

She was barely able to stop her flowing tears. Her father, Marquis Nix Eisenberg coughed, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would be this hard on you.” Her family thought she cried because of her punishment.

Catarina simply replied, “No, it’s okay. It was my fault since I did something wrong.” To be honest, she didn’t know why she was being punished.

But one thing is certain, she did something bad. Like maybe throwing something expensive or throwing out a tantrum at the servants.

It was really embarrassing to say this herself but her temper was atrocious. What did it matter to look pretty on the outside when her inside was disgusting. But it’s a relief as she knew to herself that she hadn’t done something so serious, yet.

‘I can change it all!’

She declared. She definitely wasn’t going to repeat her past life. I mean anyone would. And live her life loving her family members. Catarina promised herself that.

‘Why did this child change so much?’ She was so different from how normally she was. A soft voice and a calm attitude. It was a placidity that was rarely exuded by sixteen years old.

‘Was the ten days too much?’ Marquis thought that he had given too severe a punishment.

‘But before this, she never repented or was hurt, no matter how severe the punishment was.’ It was nice to see her mild attitude, but it was still doubtful.

‘She’ll be back to normal anytime soon, won’t she?’ He made a sour smile. It would be nice if her daughter was always this nice, but it won’t probably go that long. She was his daughter, but even he acknowledged that her personality was extremely mean. No matter how he tried to teach her or discipline her, it didn’t work.

‘Will I be able to see this child mature before I die?’ He felt frustrated, but he didn’t know how fast his wish would come true. After that day, his daughter, Catarina, completely turned into another person.

…

“Anne, I'll do the rest.”

“It's, it’s okay…”

“No, it’s fine. It’s because I like doing it. And you’re busy with other things too. Go on, let me take care of this.”

The maid, Anne, wondered if the girl in front of her was really Catarina. ‘Could it be someone else who looks like her?’ But when she saw her pretty doll-like face, she was sure it was Catarina.

“Oh, and thanks to the cake earlier, I really liked it.”

“...!”

Anne gasped in shock. Surprised by this mysterious behavior again. In the past, Catarina had never thanked anyone because of her pride. ‘Is this really my Lady?’

Anne thought of her recent developments. It was like she had turned into a new leaf in a single day. ‘And she even apologizes now.’

After the family banquet, Catarina had done unbelievable things. She went and apologized to the people she had thrown tantrums at. Everyone accepted her apology in surprise, but no one actually thought she had changed. They thought it was just a phase, and she would be mean again because people don’t change that easily, especially in her case. But after that day, Catarina really changed.

‘Now she doesn’t throw tantrums and is thoughtful of her subordinates…”

Anne looked at Catarina. ‘She also found out Max’s mother was sick and paid for her hospital fees.’ And that wasn’t all. She also gave a present to Agatha upon hearing she was pregnant and gave medicine to Amy. Those people who had received her Lady’s grace were touched beyond words.

‘Did an angel possess her body?’ She felt like the mildly smiling Catarina was like an angel when she laughed. ‘If it really is an angel, please don’t leave and stay in there.’ The current Lady Catarina was so nice that she would gladly serve her forever.

‘Oh, the time.’ Catarina, who had been writing something, stood up after looking at the clock. It was almost a month after Alexandra entered Catarina’s body so she was somewhat becoming used to this life again. Recently, she had started something, and that was trying to be a filial daughter.

“Father, it’s me, Catarina, may I come in?”

“Yes, of course, my dear daughter.”

After she knocked and hearing his permission, Catarina entered her father’s office.

“Ahem...you’re here?”

“Yes, you’re tired from work right? I thought you might be so I brought you some tea.”

“A tea made by the most beautiful girl in the world? I would love to taste it.”

Catarina giggled at his sweet words.

She doesn’t do much. She would prepare her father’s tea and occasionally make his desserts. She would also keep her weak mother’s company. These weren’t much, but it was the effort that mattered.

‘I wasn’t able to do these things in my past life because I was an orphan.’ She had realized her parents’ importance too late. No one would ever know how much she had wanted to do something like this.

“Father, what’s wrong?” Catarina looked curiously at her father’s awkward expression.

“N-no, because….you made me tea…”

“Hmm?” Catarina tilted her head to the side.

“I’m glad because I can’t believe a day would come where I would have to drink a tea my daughter made me.”

It seems like he was touched. Upon seeing this, Catarina felt sad. What she did wasn’t even that difficult. ‘From now on, I’ll bring you tea more often. No, I'll do even more than that.’

Her father sipped the tea.

“Does the tea suit your taste?”

“Of course! It was delicious. Even the tea at the royal palace doesn’t have this deep taste. How did you make it?” Her father wasn’t lying. The tea made by the ladies-in-waiting in the palace couldn’t even be compared to this.

“I just practiced a little by myself.”

She thought to herself, ‘Well it’s not a lie.’ In her previous life. She had learned how to make tea to impress the Emperor after becoming an Empress. It was futile, but her skills were those of a master artisan since she had learned in the Royal Palace. In her second life, there wasn’t an occasion to make tea, but she was glad that her skills hadn’t declined.

“Then I’ll be off. Take it easy, father.”

The Marquis spoke in a wistful voice, “Oh….you can stay a bit longer.”

“It’s ok. I’ll only bother you if I stay longer. I’ll see you at dinner. Then, goodbye.” She quietly closed the door and left.

The Marquis stared at the door for a long time after she left. He thought with a touched expression, ‘I can’t believe my daughter changed that much. And she even takes care of my health.’

Children were lovable even when they did nothing, so he was over the moon that she was taking care of him like this. He didn’t want this happiness to end, so he drank his tea in tiny sips